Chelsea announce Caleb Wiley signing as highly-rated USMNT defender joins in £8.5m deal from Atlanta

Wiley has joined Chelsea in an £8.5 million ($11m) deal, signing a long-term contract until 2030, with the option of a further season. The 19-year-old had been with Atlanta since the age of 11 and made his MLS debut in 2022.

Wiley stands to provide left-back depth in Enzo Maresca's new look Chelsea squad. Marc Cucurella is likely to be the starter after a cracking Euro 2024, but it could be a problem for vice-captain Ben Chilwell, whose injury record has limited him to 106 Chelsea appearances in four years at the club.

"Caleb epitomises the pathway that we envisioned when we started this club," Atlanta Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said, via the team's website. "Born and raised in Atlanta, he joined our Academy at 11 years old, played for ATL UTD 2 and went on to earn every step in his path up to signing as a Homegrown. Over that time, he debuted for the U.S. Men's National Team and was chosen to represent our country at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now he can continue his career at a top club in Europe. We wish Caleb the best in this next challenge of his career and look forward to following his journey. For our club moving forward, we're continuing our efforts to immediately reinvest in the team during the Summer Transfer Window."

Before he gets going in Chelsea colours, Wiley will spend up to the next three weeks in France with the United States' Under-23 squad, having been selected for the Olympics. The American team kicks off on July 24 against the hosts, before further group games against New Zealand and Guinea on July 27 and 30 respectively.